Muncie Preparing for 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Writer & Photographer / David Fennig
It’s been a millennium since Muncie has seen an eclipse, and a total eclipse will not be seen again, from here, for an age. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for residents and for the city itself.
The total eclipse is predicted to happen in Muncie on Monday, April 8, 2024, at 3:08 p.m., and last for four minutes. Local schools have already decided to take a half day to give children the educational opportunity to witness such a beautiful and unique event. Residents should be sure to supervise children closely during the event for protecting their eyes.
City leaders are taking safety seriously, there will be many places available for residents to get eclipse viewing glasses. Regular sunglasses are not necessarily designed to protect your eyes against direct sunlight, and it is very important to not look directly at the sun during an eclipse without eye protection. Safety preparations for the weekend also consist of preparing in advance for an influx of tourists looking for a good point on our planet to witness this cosmic event. Such viewing sites are rare, and that encourages flocks of people gathering.
“Eclipse weekends can draw hundreds of thousands of visitors, which is why we’re preparing in advance,” says Michele Owen, communications director for the City of Muncie. “Our team consists primarily of Cheryl Crowder [Downtown Development], Trenton Bush [Visitor’s Bureau], Matt Ruddick [Academy of Model Aeronautics], Kirsten Novotny [Minnetrista], Bianca Sulanke 
[Ball State Office of Community Engagement], Kelly Batchelor [Muncie Public Library] and me. We are working to organize viewing areas at main parks and other areas in the city so visitors can reserve a designated space to camp, set up for the day and watch the eclipse.”
“There will be festivities all through the weekend and even Monday night, to encourage tourists to stay a little longer instead of contributing to the traffic jam leaving town,” Owen adds. “Events may include makers’ markets, food and drink festivals, music and other live performances, historic tours, pageants and competitions, and more.”
Eclipses are unique opportunities not just for tourism, but also for communities. There is a chance to create some local pride and cultural heritage around an eclipse event. This is why the committee chose “Magic in Muncie” as the eclipse theme. This not only reflects the mystery, mysticism and mythology that has historically surrounded eclipses, but it is also a reference to “Magic City,” which was Muncie’s nickname after the oil boom in the early 1900s. This era first propelled Muncie to prosperity and boosted the city’s reputation, leading locals to start referring to it as “Magic City.”
“We could expect to see up to 250,000 visitors based on tourism performance in other similar-sized cities in recent eclipses,” Owen says. Residents and business owners are already preparing to be gracious hosts alongside their city.
“We really believe there’s magic in Muncie,” says Mayor Dan Ridenour. “I’m excited that we’ll get to share some of that in April.”
More information can be found at eclipsemuncie.com.
